here, kitty kitty!

[F Horn of Valere]

so I've been thinking about adopting a kitten from a local shelter... but before I do that I want to weight out the costs! So anyone with cats... what kind of expenses would I be looking at here?

[Jhaenara]

We had to get rid of my cat because no matter what we did, she wouldn't stop peeing on the carpet. Too unsanitary with a baby. :(

 

Anyway, let's see... We bought a bag of Iam's maybe once a month, so that was like what, $12 maybe. May need to buy it more than that, can't quite remember. And there are lots of brands that are cheaper... we just used that kind b/c it's one of the only ones my older cat (who lives with my mom b/c we didn't bring her to Germany... I had two originally) could eat without puking all the time, lol. Then scoopable litter which isn't too expensive but I can't think of what the costs were now... hrrmm. You'll probably want to get a scooper too if you use the scoopable litter.

 

Other than that, not too much else unless you want to buy toys and climbing things, etc. Usually when you adopt, they include their first checkup and spading/neutering. I don't think yearly checkups/shots are too much either if the base has a vet clinic you can use (not always the case). I think B'Elanna's were $40 a year, but that was in Germany.

 

Sorry, I didn't give too many costs there (I can't remember ><), but I hope it gives you an idea, lol.

[F Horn of Valere]

is peeing on the carpet usual or unusual? :shock:

[Jhaenara]

Well, it's more usual if you have multiple cats that want to mark territory or something stressful has happened. I think it was a little of both with mine. She didn't do it until I had to leave them in CO for a few months with only people stopping in every other day or so to take care of them. I didn't have a choice, Tom was in Germany for four months and my dad was dying, so had to go home (IL).

 

When I got back, she was pooping outside the litter box, then after awhile, she started peeing. The pooping wasn't so bad b/c 99.9% of the time it was hard thankfully, lol. Woohoo, too much info.

 

lol, sorry, I hope I'm not discouraging you. Mine was an unusual problem. If anything, a male cat is more likely to do it (which is often why I got females). And I think that if they end up doing it at all, it's once to mark their territory, but not continually. As I said, my problem was more unusual.

 

I think you should do it! I love kitties. And they're very low maintenance. :) Please please don't be discouraged by my cat, lol. I just wanted to explain.

[F Horn of Valere]

I asked because after my mom had surgery, my cat I had back home peed on the steps daily.. and as we were selling our house, they didn't let me keep her. *cries*

And now, in my apartment, peeing is bad... but thats good to know it isn't usual. So a lone cat all by itself with no major shocks in its life should be ok..

 

*wants a kitty*

[Jhaenara]

Awwwww... *hugs* We brought mine to Germany b/c we didn't have carpeting in the base housing there, so she didn't have a choice except for the box... haha.

 

Now I can't guarantee it won't happen, so don't yell at me if it does happen!! But I think as you said, one kitty in a normal setting, as long as it's box trained already, should be fine. :)

[F Horn of Valere]

I love cats!!!

[U4ea]

female cats who are fixed are less likely to do that, I've heard. *laughs* I haven't noticed a remarkable difference, but girl cats like men more. ;) She'll be your buddy for life, so that's my advice.

 

I have a male silver tabby. He's my baby! But...some of ya'll know that already. LOL He has his blanket on my desk where he curls up and keeps his eye on his wayward mama. *grins* She's SUCH a hard one to keep up with, apparently...

[Jaydena]

Ya if it's a male you might have a problem with him marking his territory. You should be ok with a single cat, remember that if it's an inside cat you need to add litter into your expenses. Still it's fairly cheap to own a cat, I think it's great your thinking of adopting one. :lol:

[F Horn of Valere]

Ok.. female it is!

[Jaydena]

*nods* either way they need to be fixed but I have seen male fixed cats still mark so I would for sure go with a female.

[F Horn of Valere]

my cat was a fixed female, but she was just really hurt I think... she wasn't allowed on my moms lap after the surgery, and she seemed really hurt by that and confused.

[Jaydena]

Ouch! Ya it's not fun but beleive me it's better than here popping kittys out every 6 months. :lol:

[Jhaenara]

Yeah, I think that's what happened to my kitty too. She was a fixed female. :?

[Leane_Shariff]

Awww that's great that you're getting a kitty Horn.

I wish my apartments let me have cats.

[Taei]

Well, my grandmother-in-law has four cats, yeah, four. Two males and two females, all spayed/neutered. (Otherwise there might be a lot more, lol) She treats them like they're her babies, talks to them, the whole nine yards, but it keeps her from being lonely and keeps her active. She's always doing something for them. She even has "cat blankets" that she hand made(kind of like closed pillowcases) to match her clothes(which she sews materials on). Okay, a little obsessive, but it's kind of cute too. Let me see, costs...

 

- Shots: $50-150 depending on how old they are and where you get them. (She's a military retired widow so she gets hers done on base, so it's like $50.)

- Litter box: $15-25 (Usually around $15)

- Cat litter: $8 per box (Approx. could be higher or less, check around and see what you can find in your area.) Change about once every three months, on an average, scoop it about once a week. (or whenever it gets too stinky...)

- Litter scooper: $2-5 (A regular old plastic one should do the trick so, usually $2.)

- Food: $10 per bag (Again aprox. do a little research in your area.) How much they eat in a month depends on the cat and their age. (A kitten won't eat nearly as much as a full grown cat.) Also, beware of special diet foods, if your cat has to have a special diet it can get really pricy.

 

So, there's an estimate on costs. I'd suggest that you ask around though. Call a local vet about the shots and spaying/neutering if you are thinking about it. Also, look at your local grocery store or Wal-Mart about prices on the rest of it.

[F Horn of Valere]

I know they have the food... but does the commissary have any of the other supplies?

[Jhaenara]

I never shop at the commisary except when I was in Germany, and they did most of the time. I think they do in the States though (much more selection). If not, maybe the PX.

[Jaydena]

Seems like they did when I went there Frenchie. I would check for sure!

[F Horn of Valere]

Anything not at the commissary, i'm checking K-Mart sicne they have a military discount :D

[LordDaemonDracos]

One thing you might want to checkout is the Petsmart Banfield centers. Their a little bit on the pricy side sometimes, but they have a few more items that are of better quality and last a bit longer. Plus you can always use corn for your litter. It doesnt stink as much as the clay or crystal stuff and is flushable. (costs about 20 a bag though and a bag will last you about 1.5-2 months)

But Banfield is pretty good on their vet services. they have a wellness plan (essentialy pet health insurance, but not) Costs about 16 per month (with a $65 one time membership fee too), and covers almost all shots, exams, and a bunch of other stuff. Only thing the lower levels plans dont cover are the real medical problems. Plus if you get your cat on it as a kitten, they will also cover the spaying. (so far my female has been on this plan and based on vet visits I have saved about 125 on her medical costs. and thats just in routine shots and visits so far this year)

[Taei]

Yeah, a lot of BX/PX/Commissaries have pet supplies, you'll have to see what they carry, though. And she gets her cat littler from the Commissary, not the BX/PX, wierd enough. Just go and look. It can be a lot cheaper there if you can get onpost. :)

[Jaydena]

For sure! *nods* Gotta spend the money on one of the popper sifter thigys too! :lol:

[F Horn of Valere]

corn? huh?

[LordDaemonDracos]

yup corn. since its sweet it has its own natural scent that is pleasant and helps to keep the kitty smell down. whereas clay is neutral and only tries to absorb the smell of the droppings.